Bleeding Red and Gold
by Marauder Pawsly
Summary: This is a slightly different story than Beyond The Veil and She Died So That Others Could Live. It's another possibility of what could've happened between Morgan, Sirius, and Remus. Anybody notice that I always write love stories about Morgan?


Disclaimer: Again, all I own is Morgan. And the accident that made Crookshanks's face all squished. This is a slightly different version of what happened to Morgan. I was experimenting with possibilities. By a show of hands, who here is honestly stupid enough to think that I am the great J.K. Rowling? No one? Good, cuz if I did own them, all the stories would be pretty much like this fic. Now repeat after me-- "Me no own, you no sue."

Morgan stared up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. The clock on the mantle had softly chimed twice a little while ago, so she guessed it must be around 2:30 or 2:45. She mentally shrugged. She only needed about an hour of sleep anyway. As long as she conked out by six she'd be okay.

She turned over on the couch, facing the back of it. She almost always slept out in the common room with her friends Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew, seeing as how they wouldn't be welcome in the girls' dormitory and Lily was insane in the mornings and before bed, rambling about what a jerk James was.

In fact, Sirius had even proposed that if she hated her dorm so much, Morgan could just move her bed into their dorm. But Morgan said that that would be too much of a hassle. And she didn't trust a Grade A pervert like Sirius. So they all just shoved their clothes into a duffel bag, dumped it by the hearth, and slept in the common room. Morgan always got the couch, Remus would get a chair, Sirius would get the other, and James and Peter got the floor.

Morgan's cat Crookshanks jumped on the couch and she absent-mindedly stroked him. He was a sleek ginger cat with a beautiful face and a funny bottlebrush tail that didn't suit him at all.

"Meow."

Morgan looked at her cat. He was just like her. Morgan was an Animagus, and became a cat when she transformed. She was coal-black, though, with startling blue eyes. She was also larger than the average cat, but then again, that helped her to keep Remus in check during the full moon.

"Mreow."

"Shut up, Crooks, I was not."

"Mow."

"Nuh uh."

Morgan rolled her eyes as her cat became mewing insults at her. Ever since becoming a cat herself, she know knew that Crookshanks understand more than she had thought, and they sometimes argued at night, when everyone was asleep and nobody would think she was insane.

"Meow. Mow, mew-mreow."

"Crooks, I was not thinking about kissing my friends. Get over it, will you?"

The cat looked at her, doubt written across his face.

"No. I will not, am not, and never will think about snogging my friends," Morgan said. "Now go catch some mice, go to the Owlery, do whatever you do at this hour."

Crookshanks merely meowed again, his translation being "Liar," and jumped off. Then, bottlebrush tail held high, he marched from the common room and out the portrait hole.

Morgan giggled and turned over, facing the fireplace, in an attempt to sleep. She liked the warmth. But instead of the fire, she was looking into the golden eyes of none other than Remus Lupin.

Morgan inhaled sharply and said, "Don't ever do that again, Remus."

He grinned. "Sorry, Paws," he said sheepishly. "Hey, um, you got any more room on that couch?"

Morgan sighed and pulled her legs up, sitting up as to be more comfortable.

"What're you doing up this late, Remmy?" she asked, smoothing the quilt over her legs.

"I could ask the same of you."

"I don't need much sleep," she said simply.

"I've noticed."

"Moony, what're going on about?" she said bluntly. "I may not need much sleep, but I know you do. You're the grumpiest person in the morning."

"Listen, you and Crookshanks aren't exactly quiet," he said. "And I'm not exactly a heavy sleeper, unlike Sir Snores-A-Lot." He jerked his head towards Sirius, who was snoring loudly. "And even though I can't understand him, I know what you're saying."

Morgan's eyes widened.

"And Sirius stole this from your trunk one day," he continued, handing her a little blue book. "He asked me to read it. Clever, you are, writing it in French."

"Apparently not clever enough, if you can read it," Morgan replied, taking the book and stuffing it under her pillow, vowing to kill Sirius later for it.

"Um, I couldn't help but notice," Remus said, looking uncomfortable, "that you mention mine and Sirius's names a lot. In your diary and when you're arguing with Crookshanks."

"So?"

"Morgan, don't play dumb." Remus smiled slightly. "I heard your conversation just now. About kissing your friends. Me and Padfoot again?"

Morgan stiffened and said calmly, "That's none of your business, and I should chew you out right now for reading my diary."

Remus studied her as she looked into the fire. The eye he could see was reflecting the firelight, a mixture of warmth and darkness rolled into one. Her hair was slightly mussed, probably from hours of rolling around. Her jet-black hair was gleaming with reflected firelight as well. Her skin looked pale, even though it was quite tanned. Her lips were perfect, not too thin and not too full. He knew without looking that her breasts were the same. Not too small, but maybe a tad bigger than normal. But then again, everything about Morgan Anderson was just a bit different than normal.

Remus sighed. The wolf in him was howling. It wanted a mate. It wanted Morgan.

But Remus, being in control as human, knew how Morgan felt. She didn't believe in romance between friends. But then again, Remus knew that she thought love didn't exist.

After all, her parents couldn't stand her for being a Slytherin, and her older siblings gave her hell at home, having already graduated and being able to hex her without breaking restrictions. They liked being able to torture her. Of course, her entire family were Death Eaters, and had disowned Morgan long ago. In return, Morgan had disowned them and had taken to living with James or Remus during the holidays, seeing as Sirius's mum didn't like her very much. The last time she had visited, Mrs. Black had made her life worse hell than her siblings could ever do.

"Stop that."

Her words brought Remus out of his walk down memory lane.

"Stop what?"

"Staring at my chest."

Remus felt his face redden and mumbled, "I wasn't," but he knew Morgan wouldn't buy it. She always knew when someone lied to her.

"Moony?"

He looked up. "Hm?"

"You know that I don't believe in love, right?" she said. "I mean, real love. I love you all, but as my brothers. To me, love doesn't exist."

"Because of your family," he said softly.

She glared. "I have no family." Her face clouded, as if reconsidering that thought. "No, wait."

He watched her eyes, but they revealed nothing.

"I have you guys," she murmured. "Even if you lot act like a bunch of four-year-olds, your my brothers. Not really, but I feel as though you are. My years at Hogwarts, like yours, have been the best times of my life. I know what it's like to care about someone, and have them care about me." She looked into Remus's eyes. "And it's because of you. You all helped me see. You opened my eyes. Thank you....thank you so much."

And then, without warning, Morgan did something Remus had wanted her to do for years. She leaned over and kissed him.

Not a real kiss, but a nice, friendly one. But Remus detected something behind the front she put up. Loneliness. Sadness. And hunger.

And his heart leapt. Though she didn't admit it, she still believed in love. And if she believed in love, he might have a chance.

When she pulled back, he saw her eyes were half closed. 

"I'm....sleepy...." she murmured, so softly that even his advanced hearing could just barely make out what she said. Then, she fell right into his lap, drifting in and out of consciousness.

It was as if Remus's conclusion had drained her somehow. He knew that she always fell asleep around five, and here it was, only three in the morning.

Then again, she was allowed to do whatever she wanted. And so, reluctantly, Remus laid her out on the couch, covered her with her quilt, and resisted a massive urge to kiss her. Instead, he used all of his will power to go back to his chair, cover himself with his own quilt, and close his eyes.

Images of Morgan danced on his eyelids, as they always did. Images of her in the firelight, images of her diligently studying (which was rare), images of her laughing....

Suddenly a new image appeared. The image of her crying. Morgan had only cried once, to his knowledge anyway, when James had insulted her. 

Remus allowed himself to be swept up in the memory of that fateful day.

*Flashback*

"James, you bloody prat, stop it," Morgan said, only half joking.

James's eyebrows raised.

"Me? A prat?" he said. "Takes one to know one, I suppose."

"And what does THAT mean?"

James laughed. "Oh come off it!" he said. "You're the most insufferable person I know! You're never happy with your work or yourself, I don't know why we put up with you!"

Morgan stared at him. "James, you have no right to say that to me."

"Uh huh. Just like I have no right to smash Snape's horrible face into a wall, throw Malfoy into the lake, and tell that miserable old bat of a Potions master just what I think of her," he continued, scowling.

"Well, actually, you don't--"

"You're always telling us what to do and how to do it, I'm not the least bit surprised that you and Evans hate each other. You're both insufferable berks."

Morgan's eyes narrowed. "Well," she said in a deadly calm voice. "Just what do you plan to do about it, James Potter?"

"Oh, I'll tell you what I plan to do about it," James challenged, rising from his seat at the same time Morgan did.

"James, mate, stop--" Sirius started.

"Butt out, Sirius," James said. "This is between me and her."

"You can't hurt me," Morgan said in that same deadly voice. "You'd never hurt a friend."

At that, James positively exploded. "You, a friend?! HA! I've never considered you my friend!"

Morgan's eyes widened.

"In fact, I don't even know why I keep you around!" he continued.

"James, don't--" Remus tried.

"You're just a no-good, insufferable, depressing prat!" James shouted. "You've never come out with a prank--in fact, I doubt you could! You turn down every guy that asks you out before the sentence is even finished! You have no consideration for other people's feelings, all you care about is yourself!"

"James," Remus warned.

"James, stop," Morgan said, but James just opened his mouth and screamed, "JUST GET AWAY FROM ME! YOU'RE NOT A MARAUDER AND YOU NEVER WILL BE!"

At this, Morgan's eyes filled with tears. Everyone in the Gryffindor common room was staring at them. Morgan's beautiful blue eyes, blue as the sky, were now a kinda of gray Remus had never seen before. She was blinking furiously, trying to act proud, but it was just an wall over her true feelings, and all walls eventually have to crumble.

James looked a cross between angry and triumphant, Sirius looked ready to kill, Peter looked like he just wanted to stay out of it, and Morgan--

Remus did a double take. Morgan's shoulders were shaking uncontrollably. Tear poured from her eyes so fast that they ran down her cheeks as fast as rivers. Her face was pale, paler than even Remus's on the night before a full moon.

"I hate you, James Potter," she said, her voice so choked with tears that Remus wondered how James could live with himself. Then she whirled around and ran as fast as she could out of the common room, out through the portrait hole, her footsteps echoing into the room.

"James, you are the biggest prat it has ever been my misfortune to know," Sirius growled, getting up and cracking his knuckles. "I could bloody care less if you don't like her, that's no reason to make a girl cry and you know it! What the hell are you on?!"

"I'm going to go find her," Remus muttered to Sirius, who nodded, still glaring daggers at James. Then, without another word, he ran after Morgan.

It was common knowledge that, until third year, Morgan Anderson ran to the Astronomy Tower when she was upset. (In her third year she found the Room of Requirement, and started going there.) Remus headed there, his feet pounding the stone stairs, desperately hoping that she didn't do anything stupid.

When he found her, he breathed a sigh of relief. She was curled in the corner, her head on her knees, sobbing quietly.

"Morgan?" he called softly, not wanting to frighten her.

"Go away!"

"Morgan, it's me, Remus."

"I said go away!" she repeated. "If you've come here to poke fun, I don't want to hear it!"

"Morgan, just because James is an egotistical prat doesn't mean that I don't care about you," he said, sitting next to her. "And Sirius is probably rearranging James's face as we speak. He looked furious when I left."

Suddenly, Morgan threw herself at Remus, sobbing hard onto his chest.

"I'm sorry!" she cried, her arms wrapped around his lower back. "I'm sorry I'm such a bother! If I had known, I would've left a long time ago! I didn't know how much I was annoying you! I'm sorry, Remus, I'm sorry!"

Remus put an arm around her, using the other to stroke her hair as she sobbed. "It's okay," he said soothingly, his chin resting on her head. Morgan had a funny way of crying. When standing, her shoulders shook horribly, but in a position like this, her stomach shook, like her sadness was something more than just James's insult.

"It's okay, he doesn't mean it," Remus soothed, stroking her hair reassuringly. "He's just stressing about the end-of-the-year exams, that's all. It'll be okay, he'll apologize. Sirius will have to beat him up good first, just to get the point across. You know how thick James's head is."

Morgan's only response was to cry.

After about ten minutes, her crying slowed, her breathing became more regular, and she seemed calmer, though she was shaking terribly.

"You okay?" Remus asked, still stroking her hair.

No response.

She was hiccuping silently now, but was calmer than Remus had ever seen her. As if all that sobbing had zapped her energy. She fell asleep right there, on his wet chest, her tear-stained cheeks causing her jet-black hair to cling to her face.

Remus gently pushed some of her hair away, amazed at how weak and defeated she looked. Poor thing. This was obviously something she was used to, though having someone she considered her friend insult her was something very new to her.

Just then, the door opened, and Sirius strode out, his knuckles pink with a bit of blood on them. Remus guess that Sirius had bloodied-up James's face.

"How's she doing?" he asked, kneeling in front of them.

"She's been sobbing since I found her, she's only just stopped," Remus informed his friend.

"Poor thing," Sirius murmured, brushing a strand of her raven hair away from her face. "I woulda punched James after the first insult. She's got amazing will power. Dunno how she lasted so long."

Morgan, probably having a bad dream, snuggled closer to Sirius as he draped his cloak over her and Remus. Though it was nearly summer, the air was a bit cold at night, and neither of them wanted Morgan to fall ill.

They waited for her to wake up, thinking she'd be spared humiliation and jeers than if the two than carried her back to Gryffindor Tower.

Morgan refused to talk to James for the rest of the term, sat as far away from him whenever she had to sit with him, and spent the summer at Remus's house, ignoring all of James's owls and not talking to him until the middle of third year's first term. Remus thought James had got off easy. If it had been him, he would've stopped being James's friend.

*End Flashback*

At five in the morning, the time Morgan was usually just dropping off, Remus awoke. But, him getting so little sleep for the past week, nodded off right away.

He awoke again at his usual time, around seven thirty. James was stretching, half asleep. Any minute now, he'd begin his daily Lily rant.

As if on cue, he shot straight up, yelped randomly, "GREEN JELLO!" and looked around, a dreamy look on his face. Then--

"I wonder if she'll notice me. Did you see her yesterday sucking on her quill? It was a pineapple- banana-flavored Sugar Quill. I need to go buy pineapple-banana-flavored Sugar Quills. Maybe then she'll notice me," he droned.

"You're allergic to pineapple, James," Sirius muttered, pulling his pillow over his head.

"Everybody shut the hell up," Morgan said irritably, turning over onto her stomach, her long black hair falling over her face.

"Good morning to you too," Peter grumbled, kicking James.

"Ow!"

"Shut the hell up, James," Morgan growled, pulling her pillow over her head. She was NOT a morning person.

"Morgan, be nice," Remus said, fully awake.

"Shut the hell up."

It was several hours before Morgan fully awoke, spending those hours half asleep and telling everyone who made noise to "shut the hell up." It caused them all to miss breakfast, but they nicked down to the kitchens before class, in said class Morgan also told everyone to "shut the hell up," earning her detention from Binns.

"We have GOT to work on your people skills," Sirius joked as they made their way to Herbology.

"Yeah, and we have GOT to put Silencing Charms on the school," Morgan yawned.

"Well hey, it's Friday, we've got the afternoon off," James cheerfully reminded them.

It was a miracle that Morgan only got one detention that day, seeing as how Sirius, Remus, and James clamped their hands over her mouth every time she was about to say "shut the hell up" to anybody but them. They were used to it. They ignored it. But others took offense.

That night they found out why Morgan didn't like to be alone at night. They already knew why she didn't like to be alone; it made her think about things she'd rather have buried. But tonight they learned of her fear of the dark.

It started like another night. But someone, probably Peeves, decided it would be funny to extinguish all light from the Gryffindor common room.

Someone screamed.

"Everyone, everyone, remain calm!" came Lily's voice. "I am Head Girl, I'll try to fix this!"

"Oh, duh! I'm Head Boy, I should be helping!" came James's voice, followed by a smack.

The fire and candles were lit again in a matter of seconds. Morgan had her hands clutched to her face, which was pure white, her eyes wide with fear.

"Morgan, Morgan, it's okay," Sirius soothed, his hand on her shoulder. "The lights are back."

"Did you scream?" Remus asked, although he already knew the answer.

"I-I'm sorry," Morgan said shakily, stumbling over to a chair. "I just don't like the dark."

"Why not?" Peter asked curiously.

"My sisters and brothers thought it was....erm....funny....to hex me at night. My parents were especially.....er....caring.....about that."

"They beat you?" Sirius asked, reading her eyes.

Morgan immediately wiped her face of emotions. "I never said that."

"But you were thinking it."

James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter spent another night in the common room with Morgan, if anything to keep her away from Lily, who was pestering her frantically.

Morgan was plagued with dreams that night. Finally, around four, she woke with a gasp and a small, strangled cry of "No!"

Looking around her, she relaxed a little. She was in the common room, on the couch, like she was every other night.

"I still think you should move into our dorm."

Morgan jumped and searched for the voice.

"It's just me," Sirius said, kneeling in front of her. "What's up? You okay?"

She didn't reply. Instead, she threw her arms around Sirius, crying tearless sobs.

"Oh, Sirius, it was horrible!" she whispered. "I was running and it was dark and I heard laughing and I turned around and you and Remus and James and Peter were there and you were all laughing at me and then I saw this flash of green light and heard a high-pitched laugh and--"

"Morgan, Morgan, Morgan, it's okay," Sirius murmured, his face by her ear, as he put his arms around her. "It was just a dream."

"Just a dream," Morgan repeated. "Just a dream."

"Right, and nothing can hurt you in a dream," Sirius added.

"It can if it's a memory."

"How is that a memory?"

"It's not, but I've had dreams like that."

Sirius gently pulled himself onto the couch, not letting go of Morgan.

"So have I," he murmured. "They hurt. I know."

Morgan sighed and snuggled closer, aching for the comfort. She felt content in Sirius's arms, happier than she'd ever been before. Sirius understood her. He'd been through the same things as her. He knew what was going on in her head. She felt, for the first time in her life, really and truly happy.

Sirius held her until she had fallen asleep again, then he fell asleep himself, right there with her. He never wanted to let her go.

"Sirius, why--"

"Shh, don't talk," Sirius whispered in her ear. "It's a surprise." He led her gently up the stairs and through a door, keeping on hand on hers and the other over her eyes.

"Aaaaand...." He took his hand off.

"SURPRISE!"

James, Remus, and Peter burst out from behind the beds. Even Lily was there. There were balloons and a cake, and presents.

"You remembered my birthday?!" Morgan gasped.

"Of course," Sirius said. "We're not that brainless."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" she cried, hugging first Sirius, then Remus and James together, Lily, and finally Peter, whom she had never touched if she could help it.

A few hours later, when James and Peter had gone down to nick some more food from the kitchens, Remus was at Hogsmeade, and Lily had excused herself to the bathroom, Sirius grinned and presented Morgan with a small box.

Morgan carefully undid the satin ribbon and opened the box to find something wrapped in velvet. Just then, before getting a good look at it, James, Peter, and Remus burst in, laughing maniacally, and Sirius snatched the box away, mouthing "later" to her.

The party was a blast. Lily finally admitted that she liked James and the two were giddy as that Hufflepuff fool Gilderoy Lockhart.

Remus later took Morgan up to the Astronomy Tower, saying that his present was there, waiting for her. Morgan was just about to ask him what he'd gotten her when Remus suddenly kissed her.

Morgan was surprised, but didn't pull back. In her mind, it had always been between Remus and Sirius. She couldn't make up her mind.

Remus's tongue pressed against her lips, seeking entrance, and she gave it to him. She let her hands entangle themselves in his fluffy light brown hair, while he forced his to behave and merely wrap around her.

Remus realized that Morgan kissed differently than other girls, though he had little experience to speak of. At first, it had been a normal kind of kiss, at least when she was suprised. But then she had given in, and was kissing him back hungrily, aching for the love she was sorely deprived of. Her tongue made him experience pleasures he had never thought possible, her touches drove him mad with desire. The wolf part of him was screaming to take her now, but the human part was having a hard time keeping the wolf at bay. He WANTED to take her. He HAD to have her. She had to be his.

Finally they broke apart and Remus breathed, "I went broke lending Padfoot money for whatever he buying. This is all I could give you."

Morgan smiled, but then her eyes clouded over and she realized what she had just done. She had just passionately kissed one of her best friends! How could she?! She had sworn to herself that she wouldn't ever do that! And she had just broken her vow! What had she been thinking?!

'You were getting the love that you've always wanted,' said a little voice in the back of her head.

And for once, Morgan had to agree with the voice. 

But it was still wrong.

She couldn't date Remus, no matter how much she loved him. It wasn't right, it wasn't fair. Not to her or Sirius or anybody. She felt like she was just using Remus, using him to give her the love she'd always thought she'd never have.

After December 18, things quieted down a little. Sirius was still his over-protective, prank-playing self. James was still ranting about Lily. Peter still stuffed his face. Remus was still quiet and comforting. But Morgan's head spun all the way into the new year. She couldn't stop thinking about that kiss. She had even failed a test in February because of it. She, Morgan Lee Anderson, had failed a test.

The professors were worried. Professor Thornton, the Potions Mistress, was happy because it meant that she could fail Morgan, but then again that meant she'd be at school another year. Her friends noticed something was wrong too. Lily, whom she had become quite close with, had asked her one day, but Morgan merely replied that everything was fine and continued scribbling in her notebook. As Lily walked away, she didn't see the fact the Morgan had filled half her book with the names SIRIUS BLACK and REMUS LUPIN.

In June, just after their N.E.W.Ts, James proposed to Lily. She thought it over carefully, and an hour later replied "yes." Sirius catcalled, Remus sang an old school rhyme (you know the one: Lily and James, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Jamsey with a baby carriage.), and Peter provided food for the celebration (what else?). Morgan, putting up a front, pretended to be happy and giddy, but she felt that something was missing. 

Around two in the morning, she grabbed the Invisibility Cloak and set off one last time for her favorite place, the Astronomy Tower. It was special to her because she loved the stars. Her and Sirius used to sit outside for hours in the summer and try to name them all. Just last year Remus had taught her the names of the stars. As she searched for the Dog Star, something she always did before looking for any other stars, someone laid a hand on her shoulder.

"What's up, Pawsly?" Sirius asked. "You weren't all that cheerful at the party. Something wrong?"

"It's nothing, I'm fine," she said, finding the Dog Star in a matter of seconds.

"Paws, c'mon, we've know each other forever, don't lie to me." Sirius took his hand and tilted Morgan's chin up so she looked directly into his dark eyes.

"I'm not," she said, but Sirius noticed that she didn't look him in the eyes.

'She must be really upset,' he thought. 'Even when she lies, she can always look a person in the face. I wonder what's going on....'

"Morgan, please tell me."

Whether it was the pleading tone or the fact that he had said the word "please," Morgan suddenly looked into his dark eyes. The eyes that had melted many a girl's heart in his seven years at Hogwarts. The eyes that held so much concern and love for her.

Wait.

Love?

He loved her?

"Sirius, do you love me?" she asked bluntly.

"What?!" Sirius seemed flustered and uncomfortable, and he was blushing. Very unSirius-like behavior.

"You heard me."

"Well, I, erm, that is, um, you see....." He couldn't seem to string two words together. It was then that Morgan remembered.

"Sirius? What was in that little box you were going to give me for my birthday?" she asked curiously. The tone in which she spoke made fireworks appear in Sirius's vision, it was a mixture of coy, innocence, and suspicion. It was damn sexy.

"It's back in my trunk, want to come?" Sirius batted his eyelashes at her and she giggled.

Remus had watched them leave and now he watched them come back through the portrait hole and up the boys' staircase. Curiosity getting the better of him, he followed.

He found Sirius rummaging around in his trunk, and Morgan flopped down on her bed. Yes, her bed. She had moved into the boys' dorm a little after her birthday, taking her bed and all her things with her. It was pretty crowded, but they managed.

"Pads, whatcha lookin' for?" he asked.

Sirius jumped at the sound of his voice, his head hitting the lid of the trunk, and he swore softly to himself.

"None of your business, Moony, butt out," he retorted, rubbing his head and resuming his search. "AHA!" He held up the little box triumphantly.

"Cool!" Morgan exclaimed. Then-- "What is it?"

Sirius turned to Morgan who was standing next to him. He held out the box, now open. Morgan gasped.

Inside, nestled in purple velvet, was a golden ring. Encrusted in the band was a shining diamond, but a very small one, cut in the shape of a phoenix. Morgan wondered if Sirius had either been broke or if he knew that she wanted a simple band. Knowing Sirius, probably both.

"Morgan Anderson, will you marry me?" he asked breathlessly.

Morgan's eyes widened. Her glance darted from the happy Sirius to the shocked Remus.

"Remus? Are you okay?" she said.

"Yeah. Fine. Totally. Couldn't be better," Remus replied in a voice that was not his own. "I'm just going to get some....er....air." And he left the room.

Outside, by the lake, Remus was struggling to control the raging emotions inside of him. The wolf was furious. It wanted a mate. It wanted the cat. And it wanted her now.

However, he couldn't do anything now that Sirius had proposed. He mentally kicked himself. WHY had he waited so long? WHY?

'Because you didn't want to give the wolf the satisfaction of ruling over you, even in something you both wanted,' said the annoying little voice in his head. The voice he had been bickering with ever since he found out he loved Morgan.

Then again it was for their own good. The wolf part of him was dangerous, he couldn't risk Morgan's safety. Those summers she'd spent at his house were bad enough. No, she'd be safe with Sirius. And that's what he wanted. Her safety. Who cared what the damn wolf wanted? It was probably the wolf's fault that Morgan didn't love him, anyway.

"Remmy?"

Oh no.

It was Sirius.

"Rem, are you okay? You looked horrible back in the dorm," Sirius said, looking at his friend worriedly. 

Remus plastered a smile on his face, turned around, and sound, "I'm fine, Padfoot. Musta been the wine. I think James mighta spiked it with Firewhisky again."

"You and I know very well it's not the wine," Sirius said. "You're upset about me proposing to Morgan, aren't you?"

"No! No, I'm okay, I'm happy for you, Padfoot, I really am," Remus said, looking convincing.

"You're lying through your teeth." Like Morgan, Sirius had a knack for knowing when someone lied to him.

"Look, it's my problem, not yours," Remus sighed. "It's okay, I'll be fine. You should go celebrate." The wolf was throwing a fit. It was all Remus could do to keep the wolf from making him attack Sirius.

"Remus, here." Sirius dropped the wedding band in his friend's hand and closed Remus's fingers over it. "You propose. You need her more than I do."

Remus was shocked. "But you already proposed!" he pointed out.

Sirius sighed. "She turned me down," he murmured, looking at the lake. "She said she didn't want to hurt you."

"I'm not hurt, tell her that and ask her again."

And so, Sirius proposed to Morgan again, and once she knew that Remus was okay with it, she 

said yes. But she agreed only to get married AFTER the war with Voldemort.

"Say cheese!" 

The camera flashed.

"Aw, Siri, I think it's cute that Lily and James had a baby, don't you?" Morgan said seductively. "I want one."

"You're going to get one, remember?" he muttered through his teeth.

"Just tryin' to make conversation." Morgan shrugged. Then, finding Remus, she said, "Hey, Remmy, do you want kids?"

"And just what d'you mean by that?!" Sirius sputtered.

Morgan flashed him a grin. "Just asking."

"I don't know," he said softly, but they were no longer paying attention. 

Remus sighed. It had been, what?, two?, three years since Sirius proposed? He still couldn't get over it. He still loved Morgan, loved her with all his heart, but she was as good as married. He wasn't about to steal his best friend's woman away.

And he knew that Sirius and Morgan had shagged more times than he wished to count. 'They must really love each other,' he thought bitterly as he watched Morgan dump ice down her lover's back and Sirius howl like a wolf and hop around as it reached his pants.

Lily giggled as she watched the sight. "They're so much in love," she said as Sirius began to chase Morgan around the room, holding a bowl of ice cubes. "Did you know that James and I made them Harry's godparents?" She was referring to her newborn son, Harry.

"Mm."

"You still love her don't you?"

"More than life itself."

But three days later, tragedy struck.

It was the day after Sirius and James announced that there might be a good chance of them winning if they could get their hands on Voldemort's top supporter. Everyone had been so happy and lively, no one noticed Peter slip out.

But then, Mungdungus Fletcher burst in, out of breath, looking scared.

"They're here!" he screamed. "The Death Eaters! They're coming!"

"Are you sure?" Arthur Weasley asked.

"I THINK I CAN BLOODY BELIEVE WHAT I SEE WITH MY OWN EYES, WEASLEY!" Fletcher yelled. Then he collapsed in a dead faint.

Morgan grabbed her wand and had just turned the doorknob when Sirius stopped her.

"You're not going anywhere," he said.

"I'll do whatever I want, Padfoot," she retorted.

"Not with my baby, you won't."

"Sirius, this is no time for your childish nonsense," Morgan growled. "I have to go--FRANK AND ALICE ARE OUT THERE!"

Sirius was stunned by her sudden outburst that he released his grip on her shoulder and she bolted out the door.

"Sirius, are you insane?!" Remus bellowed.

Remus, James, Lily, and Sirius all rushed outside. Frank and Alice were being tortured by two Death Eaters they couldn't name, seeing as how they had masks on. Morgan was standing still as a statue, her slightly round stomach hardly even showing as she watched her friends be tormented.

"Morgan, move!" Sirius yelped, but Remus was quicker. He rushed in front of the hex that a Death Eater had just issued, knocking Morgan to the ground. The hex whistled above their heads and hit a tree or something hard because a tremendous cracking sound erupted behind them.

"Morgan, we have to leave," Remus was saying. "NOW."

But Morgan didn't hear him.

"Frank! Alice!" she screamed. The Longbottoms were screaming in agony. "No! I'll save you!"

"No you won't," Remus muttered, dragging Morgan back to Sirius.

"Let me GO!" Morgan fell out of Remus's grip, landed on the ground, and quickly got up, running to the aid of her friends.

"MORGAN! COME BACK!" Sirius and Remus screamed in unison.

"Stupefy!"

Morgan, blind to anything but her friends' pain, caught the hex full on, and fell to the ground, unconscious.

A Death Eater laughed and said, "Bring her to Voldemort. I'm sure he'll love a prize like this." The Death Eater than picked up Morgan by her hair and slung her over his shoulder.

"MORGAN! NOOOOO!"

"Remus, no!" Lily gasped as she tried to hold Remus back while James struggled with Sirius.

"Just get back into the house!" James grunted. "We've got to leave!"

"MORGAN!"

But Remus was pulled into the house just as the Death Eater Apparated, taking Morgan with him.

Morgan awoke stiffly. She was chained to a wall.

"Oh, my head," she muttered groggily. Then, not recognizing her own voice (and not being a morning person helped), she said, "Shut the hell up."

"Cranky, are we?"

Morgan raised her pounding head. Her eyes widened. "YOU!"

Lucius Malfoy smiled and said, "Yes, me."

"Why am I here, you bastard?"

"Because the master wishes for a new servant," he replied simply. "And you were it."

"Just because my family--"

"Ah yes, your family. I believe they, along with the Lestranges, attacked your house," Lucius said, amused.

As if on cue, five figures trooped into view. They were Nathaniel Anderson, Phanna Anderson, Kinsey Anderson, Jenavira Anderson, and Jelanda Anderson-Lestrange.

Morgan's siblings.

"Why hello, baby sis," Jelanda cooed, her dark eyes glinting maliciously.

"Go to hell."

"Touchy, aren't we?" Kinsey piped up. Even though he was a year older, he had always despised his younger sister, even before Hogwarts.

"Go to hell."

"We'd better go inform the master that she's awake," Nathaniel said coyly.

"Yes, we wouldn't want to keep him waiting, now would we?" Phanna agreed in her nails-on-a- chalkboard voice.

"I think he's going to like this," Jenavira laughed as she and her siblings filed out, accompanied by Lucius Malfoy.

Voldemort had indeed like this new "prize." Morgan was imprisoned in Malfoy Manor, visited only by Narcissa, who gave her so-called food, and Electra, the Malfoys' daughter. She was a pretty girl who, by Morgan's deductions, would be hated by her family for not being what they wanted. But she kept Morgan company and for that, she was grateful.

She had given birth to Sirius's children about half a year after she was imprisoned. She named the boy Romulus and the girl Anneliesse. Nobody cared, nobody had said, "Congratulations, Morgan, they're beautiful." Morgan had to sacrifice her own robes to clothe the two, and when they got older, she was allowed Electra's and Draco's old robes.

Lily and James were dead. Sirius was in Azkaban. Peter was dead. Good Lord, Morgan was probably dead too.

All of his friends gone. Not a single one left.

Remus Lupin was feeling pretty low right now.

Baby Harry had been sent off to live with his Muggle relatives. Baby Neville, Frank and Alice's baby, had been sent off to live with his grandmother, seeing as how Frank and Alice themselves were insane and in St. Mungo's.

Remus buried his head in his hands and cried. Cried for his friends' deaths. Cried for Sirius's betrayal. And most of all, he cried for his lost love. 

Beautiful, sweet Morgan Lee Anderson-Black. 

Gone.

Sirius sat in his cell in Azkaban. This place brought back his worst memories, and one he didn't need right now was the last time he had seen Morgan.

He had been heartbroken after Morgan had been taken hostage by the Death Eaters. He couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep. He had blamed himself. His children and his lover had been put in danger by his temper and his over-protectiveness.

Sirius sighed and again reminded himself that his only reason for living now was to kill Peter, that dirty rat. Morgan was dead, and once he killed Peter, he'd put himself to rest.

Thirteen years later, Morgan was still stuck in Malfoy Manor, half starved from giving the majority of her food to her children. She cried herself to sleep, which worried Romulus and Anneliesse, and talked about a man named "Sirius" a lot. Her children had been denied the right to go to school, so Morgan taught them what she could--without a wand.

Morgan wished she'd listened to Sirius. Then her children would know their father, Morgan would be happily married, and they'd all be together. Morgan would be with Sirius, their children would be at school, and she'd have her Crookshanks back. The last time she had seen him was when Peter got so mad that he kicked poor Crookshanks into the door, which was being swung open by Frank. Poor Crookshanks's face had gotten pressed in, making it ugly and squashed. Her poor Crookshanks.

Looking at Romulus was torture for Morgan. He was the spitting image of Sirius, and more than once, that's just what she called him.

Albus Dumbledore sighed from his office in Hogwarts. The Marauders had been such good friends. Why had Sirius Black betrayed James and Lily? Poor Peter, Sirius had murdered him. But why?

He had everything anyone could ever want. Great friends, a beautiful woman, a flying motorcycle....Dumbledore smiled as he thought that.

And Morgan....her death must've been horrendous, being taking straight to Voldemort. That must be why Sirius betrayed them. When Voldemort took Morgan, Sirius must've decided he'd do anything for her, and followed her to Voldemort's lair. 

Dumbledore wondered if the children had been saved. They were probably too young, he decided. Poor Sirius. He lost--no wait. Poor Remus. He lost everything that night. His friends, the love of his life....but Sirius had lost children....Dumbledore couldn't decide who to feel pity for, Sirius or Remus.

Just then, an owl arrived, a letter tied to its leg:

Professor Dumbledore,

Of course I'll take the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I need something to take mind off....certain things. Thank you for offering.

~Remus Lupin

Dumbledore smiled. At least he could try to help Remus in this one small way. To make the poor man's life more bearable.

*

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